Raiders embrace Florida work week as they try to salvage season

SARASOTA, Fla. — Amid the plush surroundings of their IMG Academy practice headquarters this week, a constant phrase heard among the Raiders has been: “This is actually a high school?”

Given how the sprawling 450-acre campus, complete with world-class sports facilities, on-campus villas and a luxury hotel would rival many university campuses, it’s a fair question.

IMG is indeed a high school, but as its website points out, “IMG Academy is the world’s most prestigious sports, performance and educational institution.”

Which left one Raiders player to say: ”Let’s be honest, it’s a sports factory.”

Whatever one wants to call it, IMG might be an ideal setting for the Raiders, who are coming off their worst game of the season, a 24-0 loss Sunday at New Orleans that dropped them to 2-5.

Without any of the distractions that come with being at home, the Raiders have only one another to lean on this week. And maybe that’s what was needed as they prepare for a must-win game Sunday at Jacksonville.

“What’s been nice is we’re eating every meal together,” quarterback Derek Carr said. “We’re doing the meetings, but we’re not just going home after the day. … We’re all together, and we’re all talking, and we’re all positive.”

The Raiders decided to set up residency at IMG to cut down on the travel rigors of returning home from New Orleans only to cross the country again a few days later. It also gives players a chance to prepare for the weather conditions they will face against the Jaguars.

“Obviously, we’re going to hope to acclimate and come out here get used to the heat and humidity,” wide receiver Davante Adams said. “And obviously the whole purpose was to do that and take away one more long East Coast trip.”

Little did the Raiders realize that Sarasota also might serve as a sort of spiritual cleanser because of their embarrassing performance against the Saints and with their season close to imploding.

“It’s not like we were disrespected in any way,” Adams said. “We went out there and didn’t play as good of a game as our opponent. So I wouldn’t say take it personal. That’s usually when there’s things that are outside of the normal game that happened, if there’s disrespect and things like that. But I’d say we need to take it personal just the way we came out and played.”

That said, the Raiders understand the only thing that gives them the best chance to salvage their season is to attack their work days with the necessary mindset. Capturing that tenacity consistently has been a problem that needs to change.

“The urgency on Wednesday, the urgency on Thursday, the urgency on Friday, and not relaxing on Saturday just because you don’t have to do anything physically,” he said. “But the urgency mentally Saturday, do I understand really what I’m doing on each play?”

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on Twitter.